A former American President once said, "I'm the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris." Michele Obama is currently dazzling France having already dazzled London. We talk about America's newest first lady — Princeton graduate, Harvard lawyer, community organizer, fashion plate and role model. Does she have an agenda? Also, the unavoidably bad unemployment numbers, and same-sex marriage comes to the Midwest.

FROM THIS EPISODE

Special production assistance from Rebecca Mooney.

A former American President once said, "I'm the man who accompanied
Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris." Michele Obama is currently dazzling
France having already dazzled London. We talk about America's newest
first lady — Princeton graduate, Harvard lawyer, community organizer,
fashion plate and role model. Does she have an agenda? Also, the unavoidably bad unemployment numbers, and the Supreme Court of Iowa paves the way for same-sex marriage.

Last month's job losses totaled 663,000 and America's unemployment rate is now 8.5%. Five million people have lost their jobs since the recession began in December of 2007. Michael Santoli is Associate Editor of Barron's.

White House historians say first ladies are windows into America's cultural and social ideas, and while it's subtle, they have enormous power. Mamie Eisenhower gave parties and kept her mouth shut. Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan embodied high fashion. Hillary Clinton was a liberated woman who botched healthcare reform. Laura Bush advocated literacy in a much quieter way. As the first African-American spouse in the White House, Michelle Obama's unique. But her style and persona make her novel in other ways. Beneath her remarkable round of activities, is there a message? What about the bare arms and the vegetable garden?

Same-sex marriage has been an issue on the east and west coasts of America, but now it's come to the heartland. In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court of Iowa has ruled that state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, and that same-sex marriages can begin in Iowa in the next 21 days. Andrew Koppelman teaches law at Northewestern University and is author of Same Sex, Different States: When Same Sex Marriages Cross State Lines.